The Don't Move, Improve 2025 winners are here – revealing Elemental House by Archmongers as Home of the Year. Awarded the 2025 top spot in the London home improvements competition, the 20th-century split-level property in Clapton had been untouched since the 1970s, but has now been transformed into a comfortable, contemporary family home with a Danish twist.
‘We knew the house had the right DNA to become a special place to live, but it turned out to be an even stronger framework than expected, with the house itself guiding the significant transformation, deploying bold forms and honest self-finished materials to enhance what was originally there,’ Archmongers director Johan Hybschmann told us when interviewed. ‘It was rewarding to work in this way and although the house has been radically changed, it still very much feels like the same house, nestled in its terrace.’
Elemental House by Archmongers
More winners from the 14 contenders in the Don't Move, Improve 2025 shortlist include a range of urban homes that meaningfully improve the quality of life of each scheme's inhabitants, through delight and eco-sensitive architectural ingenuity.
Federico Ortiz, head of programme at architectural organisation NLA, which runs the contest, said of the overall winner by Archmongers: ‘The architects have skilfully hollowed out the existing structure, creating unexpected volumes and flows that seamlessly integrate with the house’s original heritage. The inversion of the stairs, the removal of the garage, and the subtle manipulation of sections are all brilliant yet restrained moves. The use of recycled materials has created an environmentally conscious space that is both functional and homely. It’s a profoundly intelligent approach that remains grounded, never showy – simply exemplary.'
This announcement marks the end of one more cycle of the popular, VitrA-sponsored event. Last year's winner, Aden Grove, was a Don't Move, Improve 2024 standout submission for its dynamism, energy efficiency and personality. This year, the competition attracted a pool of 150 entries. Here are all the winners.
Don't Move, Improve 2025: the winners
Home of the Year & Materiality and Craftmanship Prize: Elemental House by Archmongers Architects
Archmongers’ Elemental House redesigns a 1970s terraced property in London’s Hackney into a functional, light-filled, Scandinavian-inspired family home.
Environmental Prize: Nina's House by Nina+Co with ROAR
Textures and natural materials make this house in South Tottenham a real sanctuary, with improved air tightness and an open-plan approach.
Transformation Prize & Best Kitchen Design: Steel House by EBBA Architects
EBBA architects’ Camden house renovation and double-height extension transform life in a London terraced home.
Compact Design Prize: Hartley House by THISS Studio
An eco-conscious reimagining of a Victorian terraced home for a growing London family, THISS Studio’s Hartley House is a celebration of sustainable, spacious living.
Cost Effective Prize: Hands-on Home by Natallia Tanko
This is a bold Lewisham self-build project that gradually extended and renovated a 1970s ground-floor flat.
Best Interior Design & Best Outdoor Space: RAW House by O'Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects
A Lambeth home is reimagined for its owners' current need for a hybrid work/live space through a softly textured material palette.
People's Choice Award: Terzetto by ConForm Architects
Terzetto is a 97.7 sq m two-bedroom lower-ground flat in a four-storey Victorian mansion block. It has the classic bay window onto the street, and its own big garden at the back.
-
Michael Rider’s joyful Celine debut: ‘I’ve always loved the idea of clothing that lives on’Presented today in Celine’s Paris HQ, the designer’s astute debut balanced the house’s recent legacy with a fresh, contemporary vision which nodded to his American roots
-
The Richard Mille x Brough Superior RMB01 is a motorcycle with an exceptional aesthetic pedigreeThe RMB01 is what happens when horological obsession meets two-wheeled excellence: a Franco-Swiss racing motorcycle that brings out the best in both brands
-
Six modern bathroom ideas for spaces big and smallHere are our best bathroom designs for 2026: colours, curves and a calming ambience are making a splash this season, with tactile and textured surfaces to elevate your shower room
-
The inimitable Norman Foster: our guide to the visionary architect, shaping the futureNorman Foster has shaped today's London and global architecture like no other in his field; explore his work through our ultimate guide to this most impactful contemporary architect
-
Shard Place offers residents the chance to live in the shadow of London’s tallest buildingThe 27-storey tower from Renzo Piano Building Workshop joins The Shard and The News Building to complete Shard Quarter, providing a sophisticated setting for renters
-
Kengo Kuma’s ‘Paper Clouds’ in London is a ‘poem’ celebrating washi paper in construction‘Paper Clouds’, an installation by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, is a poetic design that furthers research into the use of washi paper in construction
-
Foster + Partners to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth IIFor the Queen Elizabeth II memorial, Foster + Partners designs proposal includes a new bridge, gates, gardens and figurative sculptures in St James’ Park
-
Wolves Lane Centre brings greenery, growing and grass roots togetherWolves Lane Centre, a new, green community hub in north London by Material Cultures and Studio Gil, brings to the fore natural materials and a spirit of togetherness
-
A new London exhibition explores the legacy of Centre Pompidou architect Richard Rogers‘Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings’ – opening tomorrow at Sir John Soane’s Museum – examines Rogers’ high-tech icons, which proposed a democratic future for architecture
-
At the Royal Academy summer show, architecture and art combine as never beforeThe Royal Academy summer show is about to open in London; we toured the iconic annual exhibition and spoke to its curator for architecture, Farshid Moussavi
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshopNew Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it
